Electric interlock for counterbalanced elevator-doors



ELECTRIC INTERLOCK FOR COUNTERBALANCED ELEVATOR DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.24. 1917.

B. WEXLE Patent-ed Jan. 20, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT. oFFIoE. A

BENJAMIN WEXLER, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE PEELLE COMPANY, I

F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC INTERLOCK FOR cOUNTEnBA'L oEn ELE ATOR- ORS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN WEXLER,

. a citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, county of Kings, and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Im- 'provements in Electric Interlocks for Coun terbalanced Elevator-Doors, of which the' following is a specification, reference being had therein'to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My'inv'ention relates to an electric interlock for counterbalanced elevator doors and more particularly to a type thereof wherein the power for theelevator car is under the control of the door structure so that a car cannot be started until the door is closed.

' Heretoforeva'rious devices have been employed, actuated by the closing of the elevator door, to control the flow of the electric current to the'motor in a manner to prevent actuation of the controller in the car resulting in the movement of said car 'in' relation to each other.

except after the door is closed, that type of devices suitable for use with horizontal sliding doors not being adaptable for use with vertically sliding-doors, and vice versa.

The object of my invention is to'provide a structure embodying therein a make and break device in the electrical current for vator car, so arranged in the path of one of the counterbalanced sections of an elevator door as to preclude the utilization of this current for power purposes excepting when the door is in the closed position, this structure having incorporated therein means whereby said make and break mechanism can be actuated only when the door sections themselves are not only closed but are locked Elevator doors made inaccordance with my invention are so constructed that the electrical make and break device is under the control of, and actuated by, the elevator lock proper thus causing the interruption of the circuit, or its closing according to the type of con troller used immediately upon the locking of the door sections together and preventing the closing or opening of this circuit until the doors are locked in the closed position by a mechanism operating independently of, but simultaneously with, the mechanism for controlling the electrical current.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented J an, 20, 1920, Application filed'August 24, 1917. Serial No. 187,952.

of vertically .sliding, counterbalanced door sections having movement in opposite directions and in the'same vertical plane, a latch memberfcarrled by onefof said sectlons' 1ntermediate the sides thereof and adapted to enter a keeper upon the other door section,

an electrical'switch mechanism mounted in an elevator shaft adjacent and atom side of a door opening closed by, and adjacent the meeting lineof, said door sections and areciprocatory plunger operatively connect ed with said latch member andadapted to actuate said switch mechanism when the doors are in a predetermined position,

whereby theactuation of said switch is permitted only'when .said latch member is operative to lock said door sections in the closed position; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described and more particularly pointed out in the'claims hereto appended.

-' Referring to the drawings, 4

Figure l'is an elevation of a vertically movable counterbalanced door structure embodying an electric interlock embodying my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a detail fragmentary view, upon a larger scale, of the cooperating parts'of said door and of said interlock.

Like letters refer to like parts in both of said views.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, a and 2) indicate two sections of a vertically movable counterbalanced door structure, said sections being connected in the usual manner by means of the flexible chains or cables (1 and having movement in thesamevertical plane. Said sections are guided in their movement by suitable rails or tracks d upon opposite sides of the door opening, with which suitable shoes e and f upon said sections respectively cooperate. 7 I

-Mounted 'in the elevator shaft adjacent one of the tracks or rails d is a make and break mechanism g (which may be of any desired construction) included in the circuit controlling the power for actuating the elevator, in which circuit the controller upon an elevator car (not shown) is also included.

Theuse of such a mechanisn1 is old and well known in the art, and a detailed description thereof is therefore unnecessary.

In the form of the invention shown, this mechanism is inclosed in a casing g having beveled extensions g -g at'the top and at the bottom, presented toward the door opening of said casing respectively. In the said opening g,

The detailed construction 7 of this make and break mechanism is immaterial to the invention; and it is capable of variation to adapt the, invention to different systems of 1 electrical control, utilizing either a normally spring h stantially right angles.

path of the upper extension g ing to which side of the door the casing g open or a normally closed circuit. form of the mvention. shown, a normally closed circu t is used.

Carried by one of the door sections, as a,

' is a plunger h so mounted upon said sections as to have rectilineal movement toward and from the make and break mechanism g, a

acting to normally plunger toward said mechanism into the or g accordis-mounted, while the doors are moving or through the opening g into.operative engagement with the arm 9' when the doors are closed. Said plunger h is slidably'mounted in an elongated keeper plate It housing the spring h.

. Also mounted upon the section a is a latch member 71 having a beveled hook i on the lower end thereof, which hook is adapted to pass through an opening 7' ina plate 9', carried upon the top of the door section b. The latch member '5 is operatively connected with the plunger It so that said mem'ber and said plunger act in synchronisin thus causing saI latchmember i to control the operative ef fect ofthe plunger h and its spring h to an extent to prevent the operative engagement of said plunger with the'lever 9 unless the hook t is passed through the opening and has actually engaged the under side of the late j forming a keeper for said latch mem- In the form of the invention shown, I provide the plunger h with an extension with which the latch member 11 is integrally connected and from which it pro3ects at sub; Said extension 70 is mounted in a strap is adjacent said latch member 1, so as allel movement of said latch member with In the I thrust saidv before power can to insure a substantially para longitudinal movement of the plunger h. This construction is highly desirable, in that the desired quantity of relative movement of the plunger h and the latch member 6 since this may be controlled solely by properly proportioning the opening Furthermore,

it requires no nicety of adjustment to msure such a structure may be used upon either side of the door without modification of any of the parts, the extension g? beingprovlded to permit the use of the same make and break mechanism on either side of the door openi in The operation of the herein described 'ap- When a car stops on any floor, and the op I thus actuating the contact erator desires to openthe door, he merely actuates the latch memberz' which simultaneously withdraws the plunger h and per-- mits the lever g to spring or drop toward the opening g, thus separatmg the electrical contacts and opening the circuit so as to prevent application of power to said car. It will be observed that the action of the operator in releasing the latch. member 71 to permit the opening of the taneously actuates the switch controlling the circuit of the car. By reason of the rigid connection when actuating the lock and the controlling mechanism. y

When the operatorldesires to leave a floor, be applied to the car, itis essential that he close the door. It isa common practice among elevator operators to violently close doors and actuate the controller for starting the car practically simultaneously with the closing of the door. Since a certain amount of leeway in the dimension of the opening 9 is necessary to compensate for variable conditions in the door structure, it has been found that in other types of electrical interlocks, it is possible to start the car before the door sections are actually looked, thus making it necessary to rely upon the switch casing g as a locking means for the upper door section. In the herein describeddevice, however, 1n the event that the-doors are slammedtodoor, simulmechamsm between the latch, fmember and the plunger h, it is impossible 7 gether, and rebound sliggtly so as to prevent the hook 71' passing neath the top bar j, the plunger his not permitted to actuate the arm 9 thus preventing the application with each other along the ad oining edges thereofand are firmly locked of power to the car until the two. vertically movable sections ab are in engagement in th s position. In this manner, I relieve the casing g for the make and break mechanism and the guides cl from all likelihood of stresses thereon as the result of an attempt to operate a such stresses in a door made in accordance -ler in this car from a movement of door which is not properly locked since. any

with my invention will be applied to the latch member 2', thus relieving the plunger h therefrom. The hook '4" must pass through the opening j and under the top bar 7" to permit the plunger h to engage the arm 9 since the casing 9 will prevent such movement of the plunger if the hook c" be above. the bar and the engagement of the hook z" with the side of the opening ward movement 0 said plunger until said book has passed completely through said 7 opening. If inertia of the spring it permits a rebound of the door sections before the hook z" properly engages the under side of the bar 7', the various parts will be so positioned as to prevent the actuation of said arm g or its equivalent. Hence, the premature starting of the car is not only prevented, but any possible variation of electrical con-' ditions in the circuit including'the controlany door in a shaft from thefloor side of the door opening is prevented.

In describing the operation vof the device, I have: referred to the form of the invention shown in the'drawings, although, it is not any intention to limit the invention to the details of construction herein shown and described, as such may be varied without departing from the spirit and'scope of the invention,

Having described the invention what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent is 1. An electric interlock for counterbalanced elevator doors embodying therein a plurality of vertically sliding counterbalanced opposite directions and in the same vertical plane, an electrical switch mechanism mounted in an elevator shaft adjacent and at one 'side of adoor opening closed by, and adja cent the meeting line of said door sections, a

latch member carried by one of said sections 7 intermediate the sides thereof and adapted to enter a keeper upon the other door section, and a laterally reciprocatory plunger opera- I tively connected with said latch member and adapted to actuate said switch mechanism when the doors are in a predetermined posifdoor section, whereby the actuation of said j will prevent any out door sections having movement in tion, whereby the actuation ofsaid switch is permitted only when said latch member is operative to lock said doorv sections in the closed position. v 2. An electric interlock for counterbalanced elevator doors embodyingvtherein a plurality of vertically sliding counterbalanced door sections-having movement in opposite directions and in the same vertical plane, an electrical switch mechanism mountside ofa door opening closed by, and adja- 9 cent the meeting line of saiddoor'sections, a laterally reciprocatory plunger carried by one of said door sections adapted to. actuate said switch mechanism when the doors are in I a predetermined position, a latch member carried by and movable with said'plunger and adapted to enter a keeper upon the other 7 switch by said plunger is permitted only when said latch member is operative to lock said door sections in the closed position.

3. An electric interlock for counter-Q balanced elevator doors embodying therein a plurality of vertically sliding counterb'al anced door sections having movement in op posits-directions and in the same vertical plane, an electrical switch mechanism mountin an elevator shaft adjacent and at one side ofa door opening closed by, and adj aa cent the meeting line of said door sections a laterally reciprocatory plunger carried by one ofsaid door sections and adapted to actuate said switch mechanism when the doors are in a predetermined position, a latch member having a beveled hookon thelower end thereof carried by and extending at .substantiailly right angles to said plunger and adapted to enter a keeper upon the other door section, whereby the actuation of said switch by v said plui er is permitted only when said latch inem eris operative to locksaid door section in the closed position.

4:. An electric interlock ,for counter- 119 v balanced elevator doors embodying therein a casing mounted in an elevator shaft adja- .cent and at one side of the door opening and having --'a ,beveled extension presentingtowardsaid door opening and an o ening below said'extension, an electrical ma e and break mechanism embodying therein a pivoted arm projecting across and adapted to normally have movement toward said opening in said casing, a plurality of verti- 120 cally sliding counterbalanced door sections adapted to have movement toward and from each other, a horizontally slidable plunger mounted upon one of said sections, a spring I acting to normally thrust said plunger toward said casing, said plunger being adapted to engage said arm through said opening when the doors are in a predetermined position, and a latch member having a beveled hook on the lower end thereof carangles to said plunger and. adapted to enter a keeperupon the otherdoor section Where- -by the actuation of said switch by said plunger is permitted 'only'ivhen said latch member is operative to lock said door sections in the closed position.

In witness whereof, I hereunto aflix:' my

signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 236; day of August, 1917.

1 BENJAMIN WEXLER.

Winesses: 1

F. T. WENTWORTH, CLARICE FRANOK. I 

